Ah, September. The leaves may be starting to turn orange. There’s a chill in the air. All signs are pointing towards the countdown to Fall! If you ask people what their favorite season is, most will probably say Fall. The weather is a little cosier, the smell of pumpkin spice lattes fills the air of every cafe and the fireplace is crackling to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Scientists have actually figured out why people are so obsessed with Fall. It goes back to your school days, as September marked the start of a new school year which meant seeing friends, cool new school supplies and the promise of a new year. This becomes deeply entrenched in our brains as we go through 12+ years of school and tends to never leave us, even as adults.
Fall brings with it many opportunities for cosy Fall-inspired family traditions and new ways to connect and bond as a family.
Random Acts of Kindness Day
Random Acts of Kindness Day is observed globally on September 1 each year. The idea is to do something kind, spontaneously, for a stranger, a friend or a family member. It could be popping a note in your kids lunchbox telling them how proud you are of them. It could be giving your lunch to a homeless person. It could be babysitting your neighbours kids or getting your kids to mow the old lady across the street’s lawn. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, sometimes the smallest acts of kindness have the greatest impact.
Remind your kids about the importance of doing kind things for others with these sweet printable Random Acts of Kindness Day cards. Each card has a prompt with a random act of kindness but can be edited to whatever you would like it to be.
Labor Day
Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers and falls on the first Monday of every September. Every family has their own Labor Day traditions which include:
- Attending union-sponsored Labor Day parades and festivals
- Having a last hurrah picnic or outdoor barbecue before the weather turns frostier
- Enjoying a long weekend at the beach or the lake
Pumpkin Bread for Breakfast
We came across a sweet (and delicious) Fall tradition to get everyone in the family in the mood for Fall! Make a loaf of pumpkin bread and serve it for breakfast either on the first day of September or on September 22nd – the official start of Fall! That warm and aromatic aroma of spiced pumpkin bread will do the trick letting everyone know Fall is coming!
If pumpkin bread isn’t your thing, there’s nothing stopping you from whipping up a pumpkin pie for breakfast instead! Lou has this easy and absolutely delicious recipe for pumpkin pie. Serve warm with whipped cream and enjoy!
Fall Countdown
Do you find your kids constantly asking you how long it is until the first day of Fall? Turn the nagging into a Fall tradition! Print out our FREE printable countdown calendar and tape it to the fridge. Mark off each day with your kids and put a big sticker or something similar on the big day so it’s super clear how close they’re getting each day!
Decorate the House
Everyone’s favorite time of the year calls for special decorations to mark the start of Fall! Some families have a tradition of putting out the Fall decor the weekend after Labor Day to mark the official end of summer. Fall decor could be popping pumpkins on the mantelpiece, creating bunting from orange leaves or Fall-inspired printable wall art.
Fall Crafts
Doing Fall-inspired arts and crafts projects is a fun Fall tradition for the kids, plus they could double as seasonal decor!
- Handprint art using Fall colors like orange, brown and yellow
- Make a scarecrow
- Paint Fall-colored tree leaves using Q-tips
- Beaded pipe cleaner pumpkins
- Fall leaves sponge painting
Take a look at some of these fantastic Fall Crafts ideas on Pinterest for more inspiration and tutorials.
Fall-Inspired Books
Not only is reading so good for kids, but bringing out some of their seasonal favorites is a great Fall tradition! If you haven’t got books about Fall, here are some great reads your kids will love:
- We Gather Together by Wendy Pfeffer
- By The Light of The Harvest Moon by Harriet Ziefert
- Curious George Apple Harvest
- Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills
- Hello Harvest Moon by Ralph Fletcher
- Goodby Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
- Awesome Autumn by Bruce Goldstone
- The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown
Fall Feast
A great way to welcome Fall is to throw a family Fall Feast! You could all wear sweaters and cosy clothes (unless it’s still sweltering hot where you live!) and decorate the table with Autumn leaves, pumpkins and fairy lights. For the feast itself, hearty and comforting foods should be served. Some ideas include:
Starters –
- Pumpkin and sweet potato soup spiced with cinnamon served with ciabatta
- Mini apple, cheese and potato pies
- Roast pumpkin, herb and feta salad
Mains –
- Slow-cooked pork, cider and sage hotpot
- Sausage casserole
- Cheesy meatball lasagne
- Spiced veggie rice
- Steak and ale pie
Dessert –
- Sticky toffee pudding
- Apple galette
- Waffles or pancakes with brandied pears and candied nuts
Invite your family over with our editable Fall dinner party invitation. Set on a Kraft paper background with a wreath front and centre on the invitation, all the text is editable so you can change the wording to Fall Feast instead of Thanksgiving!
We also have matching dinner party printables including napkin holders, bunting, tent cards and menu cards which is also fully editable to suit your Fall feast theme!
First Day of Fall
September 22nd marks the first official day of Fall. The weather is much like Goldilocks porridge – not too hot, not too cold but just right. Outdoor activities are still doable for now, so enjoy being outdoors as a family while the weather plays ball! Start fun first day of Fall traditions such as:
- Apple picking
- Pumpkin picking
- Run through a field of corn together
- Go camping and roast marshmallows around the campfire
- Attend a Fall festival
- Take a Fall hike together
On cold or rainy days fun indoor Fall activities are the order of the day. Some of these are also great the involve grandparents in, especially if they have a winning Fall recipe or book to share with the rest of the family!
- Bake an apple pie or pumpkin bread with the kids
- Do Fall arts and crafts
- Read books about Fall
- Grab a Fall-inspired drink together
- Unpack warm clothes and pack away summer clothes
September 8th is also Grandparents Day, so besides finding something fun and memorable to do with grandparents, gift them this special printable coloring page. The page is not editable but includes 7 different wording options including papa, grandad and granny. Print out and get your kids to color-in, draw a portrait and fill in the information.
Fun Days To Celebrate in September
Aside from the obvious holidays and milestones in September, there are also a bunch of fun, wacky days that are fun to incorporate into your own Fall family traditions if they resonate with your family! Here are our favorites!
4 September: Cowgirl Day – yeehaw! Celebrate Cowgirl Day with any one of these cute printable hobby horses and gallop around the garden with your kiddos or have a race and see who’s “horse” wins!
8 September: Grandparents Day – today is all about granny and gramps! Ask them if there’s anything special they would like to do and indulge their wishes, after all they deserve it!
9 September: Teddy Bear Day – instead of a teddy bears picnic, indulge your littles with teddy bear tea party! Set up a fancy tea party and invite all the teddies along to join in the fun.
10 September: TV Dinner Day – make this one a yearly tradition, especially with tweens and teens! Make a classic TV dinner, gather in the living room and eat dinner together while watching one of your family’s favorite shows.
11 September: Responsible Dog Ownership Day – if pooches are a part of your family, teach your kids the importance of taking proper care of their pets. Go through the ins and outs of grooming, play time, exercise and nutrition with your kids to instil a sense of responsibility in them for the care of your four-legged family members.
12 September: Encouragement Day – turn this day of good vibes into a family tradition by making a point of uplifting each other. Tell someone they’ve done a good job, dish out some high-fives or help someone reach a goal.
13 September: Roald Dahl Day – Roald Dahl was one of the best children’s authors in history, so we love there is now a whole day dedicated to this creative genius! Today is a great opportunity to read one if his wonderful books or to watch one of the film adaptations. His most beloved works include The BFG, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
15 September: Greenpeace Day – take some time out to celebrate Greenpeace Day and learn more about what you can do to protect the environment. As a family you could pick up litter, plant a tree, drop off your recycling or make a donation to Greenpeace.
16 September: Step Family Day – if there are step parents or siblings in your family, today is a wonderful time to let them know just how loved and cherished they are. Leave a note in their lunchbox or make a point of doing an activity with them today to show them you care and value them.
18 September: Dance Day – there’s no better day for a fun family dance party! Crank up the tunes and bust some moves!
20 September: Respect for the Aged Day – teaching kids to respect their elders in such an important life lesson. On this day, visit grandparents so your kids can spend some quality time with them or volunteer together at an old folks home and teach your kids compassion for elders.
25 September: Love Note Day – who doesn’t love a good old love note?! Leave a love note in your kids and partners lunchbox, bags or even taped to the bathroom mirror to remind them just how much they mean to you!
27 September: Family Day – spend today with your loved ones and plan to do something special together such as an outing, lunch or activity you can all participate in.
28 September: Good Neighbor Day – neighbors are important people in our lives so today whip up a batch of cookies, cakes or muffins and drop them off with your neighbors to let them know you appreciate them!
29 September: International Coffee Day – if you are parents of teens you can all go out an enjoy a delicious, hot coffee together or even go coffee tasting as a family.
There are so many fun Fall family traditions waiting for you in September that the whole family can get involved in!
